Internet marketing, web-marketing, online-marketing, or e-Marketing is the marketing of products or services over the Internet. By using the Internet, a marketer may have access to a global audience. Using the Internet allows marketers to provide an interactive marketing experience for potential consumers. For example, a marketer may be able to provide an immediate response to consumer questions without requiring a face-to-face sales force or even a telephone call center.
Some computing systems used for Internet marketing may use cloud computing. Cloud computing is a shift away from stand-alone, fully self-contained, computing systems. With cloud computing the users generally do not need knowledge, expertise or control of many of the details related to the technology infrastructure because that technology infrastructure is located “in the cloud.” Generally, this infrastructure can be provided as a service over the internet, which may allow the service to be dynamically scalable.
While the Internet generally provides a global audience, some suppliers may wish to associate resellers with consumers in specific geographic areas, demographic groups, or some other criteria. Accordingly, it can be advantageous for suppliers to dynamically refer consumers to resellers based on various predetermined criteria that may be set by the supplier.